Day for software freedom

Linux Australia will organise the country's first Software Freedom Day on September 10, the organisation's president, Jonathan Oxer, said today.

The Day is a global initiative in 63 countries to take free and open-source software to the public.

Twelve teams in Australia will organise activities in the various states and territories, giving away free Linux CDs, and creating awareness about the genre.

Oxer said Canonical, a company that markets a Linux distribution known as Ubuntu, will be providing the free CDs.

Community centres in disadvantaged areas will be provided with computer help on the day.

Oxer said the user groups in the country would be involved in organising activities. They would be helped by Computerbank, an organisation that gives away used computers loaded with Linux to those in need.